text: different systems for dividing society members into estates developed and evolved over time the best known system is the french ancien r gime old regime a three estate system used until the french revolution 1789 1799 monarchy was for the king and the queen and this system was made up of clergy the first estate nobles the second estate and peasants and bourgeoisie the third estate in some regions notably scandinavia and russia burghers the urban merchant class and rural commoners were split into separate estates creating a four estate system with rural commoners ranking the lowest as the fourth estate furthermore the non landowning poor could be left outside the estates leaving them without political rights in england a two estate system evolved that combined nobility and clergy into one lordly estate with commons as the second estate this system produced the two houses of parliament the house of commons and the house of lords in southern germany a three estate system of nobility princes and high clergy knights and burghers was used in scotland the three estates were the clergy first estate nobility second estate and shire commissioners or burghers third estate representing the bourgeois middle class and